With a half hour to kill between classes, here is the friday five...

1. What was the first thing you ever cooked? I grew up baking cakes and pies with my mom.

2. What's your signature dish? Potato Cheese Soup... I make the worlds best potato cheese soup.

3. Ever had a cooking disaster? (tasted like crap, didn't work, etc.) LoL... Millions of times... From pudding that didn't thicken to unrecognizable omelettes...

4. If skill and money were no object, what would make for your dream meal? Hmmmm... probably something involving fillet mignon....

5. What are you doing this weekend? Working... 10:30 am to 10 pm on Saturday, 10:30 am to 5:30 pm on Sunday... yech...



And how am I doing besides? In some respects the best I've ever felt, ever... and in other ways... well, lets just say that this semester can't be over fast enough. I'm sick of cold weather and my mind is a million miles away in both directions anyhow, so I just need to get my body out of here. I talked to the mamma yesterday. She said she could hear the smile on my face, and that's saying something. She's a little skeptical, of course, but she's just looking out for me as usual. Sister Amie scored 190 points out of 100 on her california missions project... Yay ambition and extra credit :) I'll have to consult her before taking my next state-wide road trip. I may be a little biased, but I think I have the smartest 10 year old sister in the world. and she happens to be the coolest, too. I remember once she told me "My friends are dumb... none of them like Depeche Mode." Heehee. Coolest. Sister. Ever. And still nothing further to report on whether or not she'll be visiting me in April, though I really really need her to. It would help me so much just to be able to give her a big bear hug. If any of my friends back home in CA are bored and want to fly out here the first weekend in April so that she doesn't have to fly alone, let me know. I could really use some visitors right now to make this place a little less wretched. M.E. wants to go just as bad as I do. She needs more friends who don't spread unfounded rumors. I think my people back home will just about fit the bill, and I like sharing friends.

Speaking of road trips, I can't wait to be back in my car on Highway 1 again. It's the best stretch of road, ever. On one side of the car are mountains and forest, and on the other side are cliffs that plummet into the ocean. It is the most fiercely beautiful place that I have ever seen, and from the higher places you feel like you could stare straight into forever. I'll never forget driving up that road with my mom and my sister to go camping up at Big Sur. Our campsite had this big deep pool of water and a stream that, if followed in the right direction, would take you deep into the forest and finally to the ocean. No trails, so not too many people around, and mostly unspoiled nature everywhere, the trees covering everything like a canopy, with shards of light penetrating like angelic intervention. And the water so clear and cold. Hiking down over rocks until you finally get to the sand, which seems like walking on clouds by the time you get there, and the crashing waves heralding your arrival. I wonder if Humboldt will even compare to this? From the pictures I've seen it will. I can't wait to go to a school that is half in the redwoods and half on the shore.

This winter seems to be doing really brutal things to my state of mind. It will warm up just enough for plants to start sprouting up, and then a cold spell will come along and the frost will kill it all over again. And this semester is just starting. I still have to be here until mid-May. At least if Sister Amie comes out that will give me something a little closer to look forward to.